Birmingham Sloss Fest profile: Joel Madison Blount
Joel Madison Blount brings home the emotion with beautifully composed lyrics and soulful guitar playing to match. (Contributed)
Performer: Joel Madison Blount
SlossFest: Saturday, July 14, from 1:30 p.m. to 2 p.m. at the Monster Energy Shed Stage
Type of Music: Americana, folk rock
About: Having a child has a way of changing one’s priorities and, in the case of Joel Madison Blount, his music.
The talented indie artist will rock the big stage at Sloss Fest to showcase tunes from his second full-length studio album, “Our New Moon.” You may have caught his act at Good People Brewing, the Hangout, WorkPlay and other music venues. Blount dropped his most recent album in 2017. While some of its themes explore sadness, Blount’s music ultimately crescendos into an outpouring of joy and grace.
Blount combines a soulful sound and skillful guitar playing, adding up to a don’t-miss show at Sloss Fest. (Contributed)
He wrote the lyrics and music for “Our New Moon” after the birth of his first child. Indeed, the video for Blount’s emotion-jolting single “Arms Open Wide” begins with his toddler son playing the drums.
Blount’s career start
Blount said life has offered twists and turns he couldn’t have dreamed. Born in Mobile, he moved to Birmingham as a teenager and now resides in the city’s Crestwood neighborhood. Blount’s relative, Ray Sawyer, from Chickasaw, Alabama, is well-remembered for playing the maracas and singing with Dr. Hook & The Medicine Show.
In a fateful move about four years ago, Blount quit his day job as a CPA in public accounting. He’d grown tired of dreaming about being a full-time musician and decided to make it happen. Two weeks afterward, his wife announced they were expecting. But he wasn’t meant to be a stay-at-home dad.
With lyrics and a musical sound reminiscent of the Irish rock band U2, Blount has crossed the influence of Southern writers with lyrics that inspire his listeners. Blunt wrote on Facebook, “This is a record in favor of the quiet life, best savored while winding down in the peace and calm of the evening.”
Discography:
- “Our New Moon” (2017)
- “Taming the Wind” (2014)
- “I Believe in Love” (2011)
- “Joel Madison Blount” (2010)
You might have heard:
For fans of: U2.
Social: Pandora, Spotify, Facebook.
Sloss Music and Arts Festival takes place at the historic Sloss Furnaces in Birmingham July 14-15 and features more than 40 performers on four stages. Buy tickets here.
